BETH GOVONI: Where have all the mailboxes gone?

Tuesday

Jun 3, 2014 at 1:54 PM

By Beth Govoni

Iconic. That’s what mailboxes are.For me, they represent fond childhood memories. I remember when I was finally old enough to walk to the mailbox alone. Oh, the responsibility, the freedom! It was a destination, in and of itself!Mailboxes were great excuses to get some fresh air. If you didn’t feel like walking far, but wanted to get out, a walk to the mailbox would satisfy the need without being overly taxing.However, over the last couple of months, I noticed something strange. I went to mail a letter at the same mailbox I have used for the past 13 years. And it was gone.It was a surreal moment.Maybe it was a prank and someone was filming this to catch my reaction? No. It was just gone.When I mentioned this to one of my kids, they exclaimed how another one, near us, was missing too. I later discovered that these two boxes were not the only ones recently removed.What was going on?I found myself on a mission….I spent the next week, watching for my mail carrier so I could ask him about it. He assured me that I wasn’t crazy, there had in fact, been mailboxes in those locations but now they had been removed.Wow.Images of the days of disappearing pay phones were suddenly filling my head. Granted, I have a cell phone, so I’m OK with payphones being obsolete, but I still send mail — real mail in stamped envelopes.Was my ability to continue to do so, being threatened? I felt a great resolve to speak up about this perceived threat towards something I valued.I contacted the U.S. Postal Service, and I had the good fortune to speak with Maureen Marion, the manager of corporate communication for the USPS. Like my mail carrier, she confirmed that there were less mailboxes throughout the city.After talking with her, I could see why this was so, and I now accept it as part of the changing world we live in.Maureen gave me several facts that helped me to better understand what motivated the Post Office to remove some of my beloved mailboxes. She explained mailboxes are not being used as much as they once were.Letter volume has dropped by 30 percent in the last five years. Not just in Medford, but nationwide. Before removing the boxes, the Post Office conducted a two-week density test to determine which boxes were under used.Having a mailbox in every neighborhood was no longer cost effective. As Maureen started to explain, the breakdown of resources needed to pick up mail from each box and the cost to maintain those boxes, I began to understand.She also offered me a website that has greatly aided me in my hunt for the nearest mailbox. You can find the mailbox closest to you by going to the USPS.com website.Click on ‘Quick Links’, then ‘Location Types’ and then finally ‘Collection Boxes’ and enter your zip code.There, the Post Office has mapped out where each mailbox is in the city. I can’t tell you how much this pleased me!And if you discover that your closest mailbox is too far to walk, Maureen said you are always welcome to leave letters to be mailed, in your mail slot, for the mail carrier to pick up.Maureen told me the USPS is trying to ‘work smarter, not harder’ and I appreciate that. I have always believed our ability to put a stamp on a letter and have it delivered for us, is truly one of the best deals available.I do think it would have been more considerate of the Post Office to inform the city of what they were doing and why — before they did it. However, I’m sure they saved themselves a tremendous amount of complaints by removing the boxes without informing anyone of what they were doing.The old adage of "it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission" comes to mind. But I find that I cannot lump corporate decisions with individuals.Maureen Marion from the USPS was very helpful. My mail carrier is a gem — and I love mailboxes.So, even if it’s a little further away, I’m still walking to the mailbox. It may take a little longer, but mailing letters keeps the Post Office in business and mailboxes on the streets.I’m not ready to let the mailbox become a thing of the past, so I’m off to mail a letter!— Beth Govini is a Medford resident.